Grate



June 22, 1943.

A. A. D ENNY 2 emu:

Filed May 9 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

IN V EN TOR.

Julia-22, 1943.

A. A. DENNY GRATE Filed Kay 9, 1941 2 Sheei-Sheei 2 INVENTOR.

Patented June 22, 1943 UNTED s'r'rr.

eariisur OFFlCE 2 Claims.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a grate, adapted to be used in a furnace of any kind. The invention aims to provide novel means for feeding the fuel upwardly, from opposite sides of the grate, so that the bed of coal will be thinned along the longitudinal, central line of the grate, novel means being provided for mounting and actuating the grate members.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embcdiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 shows a top plan, a device constructed in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, wherein parts are broken away;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In carrying out the invention, there are pro vided spaced base members i, which may be angles. Supports 2, 3, 4 and 5 are provided. The supports 2--3 and l-E: have an upward slant,

from their outer ends to their inner ends, the

supports 23 and 4-5 being tongue and grooved together, at their inner ends, as shown at 6, the inner ends of the bars 3-2 and 5-4 being beveled, to meet along a vertical plane '5. At their outer ends, the supports or bars 35 and 24 are beveled, as shown at 8, to fit in the angles defined by the vertical and horizontal flanges of the base members i.

The supporting bars 5 and 5 have outstanding, integral stub shafts 9.

Grate members Iii are disposed between the supports ii 5 and ii-Q. Preferably, the grate members ii are approximately rectangular in cross section, but have concaved sides I i defining rounded edges I2, the rounded edge l2 of one grate member being presented to the concavity H of the next adjoining member, owing to a gear and pinion arrangement to be described hereinafter.

The grate members 10 have integral shafts [4,

journaled in the supports 2 and 3. At their opposite ends, the grate members ill have shafts l5, journaled in the supports t and 5. The shafts l5 are provided with polygonal stubs It, on which transversely spaced spur gears ii are held by cotter pins l8 or the like. The gears H are disposed outwardly of the supports 6 and 5.

The stub shafts 9 are disposed below the po-- lygonal stubs iii of the grate members ill, in alternating relation therewith. Spaced spur pinions 49 are journaled on the stub shafts 9 and mesh with the gears ll. At the plane marked by the numeral 7, the innermost spur gears ll intermesh. The corresponding spur pinions 19 are not in mesh.

A shaft 29 is journaled in the supports 2 and 4, near the outer ends thereof and has an end 2 I, adapted to receive a crank 22, if the grate is to be operated by hand. It will be understood, without specific illustration, that the crank 22 may be replaced by any suitable mechanism whereby the grate can be motor-driven. A driving gear 50 on the shaft 20 meshes with the adjoining spur gear I1.

When the shaft 20 is rotated, rotation is imparted to all of the grate members [0, due to the intermeshing relation existing between the pinions i9 and the gears ll. At the innermost gears l1, rotation is carried over from the grate machanism at one side of the device, to the grate mechanism at the opposite side thereof. The grate members 10 on opposite sides of the plane indicated by the numeral 1 in Fig. 2, rotate in opposite directions and tend to carry the fuel upwardly toward the apex marked by the numeral 23 in Fig. 2. The fuel is not carried upwardly in a layer of uniform thickness by the grate members Ill but banks at greater depth, adjacent to the sides of the structure than at the plane marked by the numeral 1. The fuel is thinned above and adjacent to the apex designated at 23, and often is no more than a few inches in depth. Thus, adequate provision is made for the passage of combustion air. The fuel will be burned thoroughly, and smoke and gases tending to accumulate above the fire, will be consumed also.

The device is simple in construction but will be found thoroughly advantageous for the ends in view. The gear and pinion construction shown at l|l 9 is simple and positive in action, and does away with many difficulties obviously arising out of the use of conveyor chains and similar devices, subject to wear and other deterioration.

What is claimed is:

1. In a grate, a supporting structure, grate members mounted to rotate on the supporting structure and disposed in planes which slant upwardly to an apex intermediate the sides of the grate, a train embodying spur gears on the grate members and spur pinions carried for rotation on the supporting structure, all of the pinions being out of mesh with each other and in mesh with the spur gears, the innermost gears being in mesh with each other, the remainder of the gears being out of mesh with each other, the pinions being disposed partially below the spur gears, to permit the grate members to be of small diameter and still permit them to be disposed close together, and means for actuating the train.

2. In a grate, a supporting structure comprising upwardly slanting bars having their inner ends beveled to abut along a substantially vertical plane and having detachably interengaged tongue and groove elements coacting to prevent relative transverse movement between abutting bars, the outer ends of the bars being shaped to cooperate with a supporting base, the bars at one end of the grate being supplied with integra] stub shafts, grate members mounted to rotate on the bars and disposed in planes which slant upwardly to an apex intermediate the sides of the grate, a train embodying spur gears on the grate members, and spur pinions carried for rotation on the stub shafts, all of the pinions being out of mesh-With each other and in mesh with the gears, the innermost gears being in mesh with each other, the remainder of the gears being out of mesh with each other, the pinions being disposed partially below the spur gears, to permit the grate members to be of small diameter and still permit them to be disposed close together, and means for actuating the train.

ALBERT A. DENNY. 

